Systemic autoinflammatory diseases are an heterogeneous group of systemic disorders clinically characterized by recurrent or persistent inflammatory episodes, which occur in the absence of infectious, neoplastic or autoimmune etiology. During the past years, genetic defects affecting different proteins involved in the regulation of inflammatory processes have been identified in these diseases. These advances offer new genetic tools to clinicians, in order to achieve an accurate and definitive diagnostic, and to establish a tailored treatment. Present review is an updated and comprehensive overview on hereditary systemic autoinflammatory diseases, and it has been organized in 2 separate and independent parts. The first of them will introduce the group of hereditary periodic fever syndromes, which includes familial Mediterranean fever, hyperimmunoglobulinemia D with periodic fever syndrome (HIDS), and tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS).